Last Sunday

Yesterday was huge!!! I am pumped about our new series and our Kidstuf kickoff. The ingenuity that went into transforming the auditorium from our main neighborhood gathering into the most incredible kid's environment in the area is amazing! Several years ago when I first heard about Kidstuf, I imagined a day like yesterday happening at a church that I was a part of. I simply loved the idea of providing a service for KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS to learn and grow together.

Somehow churches have to wake up to the idea that what they have been doing for the last 40 years with children and youth ISN'T WORKING. Just look at the stats. My point is that no matter how cool, how new, or how innovative churches become in their approach to children and youth, it isn't going to help until they help parents actually engage their kids and be great parents. Most churches I know actually re-enforce the problem because they enable parents to dis-engage their kids by dropping them off and not having to worry about them for the next hour or so. Kidstuf does the exact opposite. It gives the child and the parent a SHARED EXPERIENCE that they both love so that they can interact throughout the week on what they are learning. I love the fact that UCF is equipping my family to be a great family all week long 365 days a year. The Neighborhood Gathering give us the adult time (with kids in their ministries for "their" time), but then we get to experience an incredible service together.

I talked to a mom yesterday afternoon who has a 10 month old and plays a part in Kidstuf. She simply expressed to me how excited she was that she was going to be raising her family in a place that made this possible week after week. I look forward to hearing the stories of parents being great parents, of kids knowing that their parents are involved in their lives, and of churches that care enough to provide a place for this to happen.